Petal in the Pond
by JaynaRae
Summary: Hey, I just met you, and this is crazy, but will you marry me? Sora x Namine. Rated T for minor cursing. Review, please!
1. Chapter 1

Carrying six caffeinated drinks along with super important classified information meant only to be seen by my boss and boss alone was a tough task, one I didn't quite know how I was pulling off at the moment. The coffee whooshed within its confinements, and with one slip, it could all go down. I had to be precise in my movement and protect this file with my life, but I also had to deliver the coffee to all my superiors in a timely manner to remain on their neutral sides. Both tasks were executed with extreme caution as I swerved around the cubicles and set the coffee carefully onto their wooden desks, far enough from their computer screens but still in reach for their convenience.

Being the newbie, I was a slave to whimsical requests, all ranging from trips to Starbucks, like today, to going above and beyond with suggestions for economic growth within the company, which usually went unnoticed in a room filled with corporate masterminds. To them, I was simply the delivery boy of everything but ideas, it seemed.

But no matter! I had a lot of time and so far I felt like I had left a decent impression. I was fully capable of grasping the hierarchy scale, and understood that I had to work hard. It was just common sense!

"Sora, this isn't what I wanted! I said a Frappe, no whipped cream and extra Hershey!" shouted my typically vibrant coworker, Selphie Harper.

"Mine has no whipped cream, and way too much chocolate," said the girl beside her. They switched the beverages.

"Oh," I said, chortling, "I guess I mixed the two up. So sorry!" I bowed to them. I didn't expect a 'thank you;' that would have set my expectations too high. I got the stink eye, but at least the solution was simple. And now, to deliver this super crucial file to my boss! With a skip in my step, I paraded out of the room.

My phone rang halfway down the hall. Since no one was in sight, I glanced at the unfamiliar number and then put my phone back into my pocket.

"Slacking, Sora?" a monotonous voice appeared.

Oh shit!

Terra, my overbearing manager gave me a look. "Sorry, Sir!" It seemed I was always guilty, huh? He shook his head, mumbled something and continued onward. Phew! That was close as hell. Once I got to the end of the hall, I knocked on my boss' door.

"Yes?" she called from inside.

"Oh, um, Miss Aerith, I have your file. It's Sora."

"Come in."

I went into her office. The strong lemony scent nearly made me gag, but I pulled through. Miss Aerith flipped through some papers on her desk, and then looked up at me.

"Well? Are you going to give it to me or not?"

"Oh, right!" I bowed and placed the folder onto her desk. "Um, they said that everything should be there, but let me know if I can-"

"Alright, thanks, bye."

I blinked several times, but I got the message. Sometimes, I felt like Miss Aerith had two completely different personalities. One minute, she'd be all fuzzy and bubbly, and the next, she's like a workaholic mom with fifty-five hundred things happening at once. There was never an in-between, but it was just something I had to get accustomed to. Bowing once more, I shut the door quietly and made my way back down the hall. Regardless, that felt good. I did it all in a span of twenty minutes, and I didn't make anyone too angry. Out of habit, I pulled out my phone and noticed I had a new voicemail. Hmm, it may have been important. After a quick look around, curiosity got the better of me and I went into the bathroom.

 _"Mr. Strife, this is Mrs. Lovett from Norman Elementary calling... I'm Keiji's teacher. I need you to come by during lunch so that we can discuss my concerns for your child. Please let me know if you will be here by call or text. Thanks."_

Great.

I guessed there was no other way around it. I shot her a quick text, and then returned to work. Olette, the only acquaintance I've made here so far, watched me closely as I slumped in the cubicle beside her.

"Done with your slave labor?" she asked, folding her arms.

"For now," I said, and then logged into the computer. I had a billion and one tech support emails to answer, as well as a billion more callbacks to do. At least the job kept me busy, or these twelve hour shifts would have been a lot worse.

"By the way, I heard Selphie was caught on social media on the company's computer," Olette whispered. I knew she was just trying to make conversation, but I was not the least bit interested in gossip. "Apparently," she leaned closer, "she was writing messages back and forth with our manager. Personal ones."

"Oh, yeah?" I said absentmindedly as I typed an e-mail response to a customer, and then added the necessary automatic signatures. First one down, nine-hundred-ninety-nine thousand to go.

"The stupid thing is, no one seems to care. The rules clearly state a conflict of interest when someone of a lower position is in a relationship with..." Olette trailed off as a few coworkers passed by, and then turned back to her own computer. "It's horrible. I want to report it," she squeezed in. "After all the things her and her friends put me through during high school..."

I had more important things to worry about...

"I say just ignore it and focus on your work." It was the only advice I could offer without coming across as a jackass. Before she could reply, I picked up the phone and dialed a number. She pouted and finally went back to work. Sorry, Olette. This was the best job offer I've ever had. I couldn't jeopardize anything here.

The day dragged on.

* * *

I only had an hour lunch, and if I wasn't back on time, I would receive a written warning. I hurried into the school and signed in at the office. Mrs. Lovett waited in her empty first grade classroom. I poked my head into the room and spotted Kei's dark blue Spiderman backpack in the corner, along with the others. Educational posters lined the walls, as well as drawings from the students. Kei wasn't too interested in drawing, but I couldn't distinguish his from the rest at first glance.

"Hello? Mrs. Lovett?" I started, giving a quick wave.

"Oh, Mr. Strife, good of you to come." She shook my hand. Man, this woman was short. "We met at open house, but it's nice to see you again. I wish it was under better circumstances, though. Please, have a seat." She motioned to the desk in front of hers. I rolled up my sleeves and sat down, taking in a deep breath. Couldn't say that I wasn't nervous...

"What's the problem?" I asked, but it came out wrong in my mind.

Mrs. Lovett tucked her black hair behind her ear. "Well, obviously, Keiji is a very sweet kid seems to have exuberant optimism for his age, but I'm worried about his academic standing."

"What do you mean?"

"So you haven't seen his recent test scores?"

I lowered my head. "I actually haven't. I work twelve hour shifts, so when I see him he's already in bed. We don't get to talk much, except on weekends."

Sympathy painted her face, but there was also a tint of disappointment. "I see. I don't mean to pry, but does his mother work as well?"

I swallowed hard before responding. "His mother isn't around."

"Oh, I'm so sorry."

The short silence didn't settle too well with me. I shrugged it off, but the memory stung. Clasping my hands together, I said, "It's okay. We get by. He goes to his grandmother's house after school, so I thought she was helping him with homework if he needed it. He's never asked me."

"Well, he's going to need more guidance, particularly in Math and Science. His English and Foreign Language skills are impeccable, however."

I chuckled. "Yeah, when I wasn't working as much we used to study a few different Spanish words every day."

"Oh, that's really nice. No wonder." I nodded in response. "I just don't want bad grades in other subjects to deter him from being his best, because he is very bright. I know he can do it."

"Yes, ma'am, I will try to be more involved. Math is one of my strong suits, so I'll definitely talk to him about this." I checked my watch. "I'm sorry, I'm on a pretty tight schedule, was there anything else?"

"There was one more thing I felt was worth noting," she paused, "I think you know how much Keiji loves to, you know, make people laugh, correct?"

"Yeah, he's not exactly shy," I responded, allowing a grin to form.

"There's a talent show coming up. Of course, I want him to focus on his studies, but I also think it would be beneficial for him to sign up. He is so funny and tells some of the slickest jokes, so I'm sure he could come up with a skit and impress the crowd, but I wanted to ask you about it before I made the suggestion."

"Um, yeah, if he wants to do it, sure."

"Perfect. Well, Mr. Strife, thanks again for coming out. You must be a busy man."

I shrugged. "Well, it's just me and Kei." I waved as I headed for the door. She really could have just told me everything on the phone, but whatever. "Thanks for letting me know!"

With just twenty-five minutes to get across town, I rushed back to the office.

* * *

I went the rest of the day wondering how to approach the problem with my son. Would he be sensitive to the subject? Did he even care? I never wanted to force anything on him, especially after losing his mother at such a young age. However, his ability to brighten any situation really baffled me, and Mom said he was a spitting image of me as a kid. A few bad grades didn't worry me too much. I was still proud.

After a long, tedious shift, I arrived at back home. I still lived with my parents, but I was working on getting my own place. I dragged my feet to the door and stifled a huge yawn as I went inside. This job really zapped my energy, but it had to be done, I guess. It was almost nine, and Kei was probably already in bed.

"Hey, Mom," I greeted as I entered the kitchen. She whirled around in surprise.

"Oh, I didn't know you were here. How was work?"

I scratched the back of my head. "Work was work. Is Kei asleep?"

"Yeah, he just went to bed. If you want to rest, I'll take him to school in the morning."

I shook my head. "That's alright. I barely get to see him enough as it is." I decided to hold off on telling her about the talk with his teacher earlier. It was my problem anyway, not hers.

"You gotta do what you gotta do, right?"

"That's for sure." I leaned against the counter. "Man, if you told me seven years ago that I would be a twenty-four year old single father working fifty hours a week for a big internet firm I would not have believed it."

"You've had it rough, but the point is that you're getting through it," she said.

"True." I yawned again. "Welp, I'm going to wash up and go to bed, then. Thanks for always looking after him."

"No problem." She paused. "Oh, Sora?"

"Yeah?"

"Your dad and I are having a cookout this weekend at the beach. Your aunt and uncle are stopping by on their way to Twilight Town. I invited some other people as well. I'd like for you and Kei to attend."

I bit my lower lip. "Mom, you know they aren't very fond of me."

"They will come around. Still, Kei likes his cousins. It'd be good for him."

"Alright, I guess." Since I lived here too, I didn't really have a choice. Weekends were my only chance to relax, though, and now I had to worry about scrutiny from my overly religious family too? Just perfect. I said goodnight to Mom and headed upstairs.

Kei slept peacefully in the room I grew up in, which was now his, and I almost didn't want to wake him. I stood in the doorway for a moment, allowing my mind to wander to the dark depths within. I hated when this happened, but it always seemed to find a way to squeeze a little more life out of me in the process. Sometimes, I considered myself to be a walking and talking zombie, incapable of true happiness, but then I would look at my son and those thoughts would dissipate. I didn't have the right to be selfish anymore. He needed me, almost as much as I needed him.

She would be proud of him too.

Damn, there I go again. I really need to get a grip.

I knelt in front of the bed and gently placed my hand on his shoulder. I hoped he was having an awesome dream. I sighed and leaned against the bed. I wished there was more I could do sometimes. Leaving him like this all time was hard on both of us.

Maybe I could walk to school with him in the morning. I didn't have to work until eight-thirty, so there was time.

Yeah, I think I'll do that. I gently patted his shoulder, whispered goodnight and went across the hall.

* * *

I woke up the next morning to the fresh smell of bacon and eggs. My mouth watering, I went down to the kitchen. Kei was already dressed for school and eating breakfast.

"Morning, kiddo," I said, rustling his auburn colored hair as he stuffed his face with some scrambled eggs. Mom was making some more food, and I almost forgot the last meal I actually had. I got myself a plate and sat next to Kei. Mom turned off the stove and left the room.

"Grandma always makes the best food," he stated, tearing the bacon up.

"What about my cooking?" I asked, obviously fishing for approval.

"You could do better. It's not like Grandma. Grandma adds flavor and secret ingredients. Your secret ingredient is cheese."

I laughed. "Hey, what's wrong with cheese?"

"Cheese on Ramen? Yuck," he said, making a sour face. "And I can't eat macaroni forever!"

"Alright, alright, you win."

"What do I win?" He perked up.

"Umm, an extra hour of cartoons on Saturday night." I gave a wide smile.

"Oh! So, I can watch the Adventure Time marathon?"

"Sure. In fact, we'll watch it together." Kei kicked his legs excitedly. Comfortable silence crept on us as we ate. He scraped the last of his plate, and then took it over to the sink. He could hardly reach the faucet, but he managed to rinse it too.

"I'm going to bring my skateboard to school. Tetsu is bringing his," Kei said.

"Make sure you wear your knee pads and stuff." He pouted. "Don't make that face. I'd rather you stayed safe."

"But Tetsu doesn't wear them," he argued. "Do I have to? I'm really careful. I'm like the carefulest person in the world."

"No, you're wearing them or you won't skateboard."

"Fine," he mumbled. Sometimes it felt like I was dealing with a teenager already. I stopped him before he left the kitchen.

"Hey, Kei, sit down for a sec. I wanna talk to you."

He looked like a deer in headlights. "Did I do something bad?"

"Just sit down," I said calmly. He did as he was told, refusing to look me in the eye. "Just so you know, I'm not mad at you at all." He didn't make a sound. "But Kei, you know you can always come and ask me for help on your homework, right?"

"You talked to Mrs. Lovett?"

So he was hiding this from me? Alright, just stay calm. He was probably just afraid. "I did. I know I'm not home as much anymore, but that doesn't mean you can't come to me, or Grandma or anyone if you're struggling with a subject. If you don't understand something, we can always figure it out together, okay?"

"Yes, Dad."

I leaned forward. "Kei, it's fine. I'm really not mad. We can fix this."

He lowered his head. "I thought you wouldn't like me anymore if you saw my bad grades. You're always telling me to be my best."

"That's not true at all. Hey, I sucked in almost every subject but Math. But I got tutoring and was able to pass. I can help you. All you have to do is ask. I don't want you to ever feel like you can't come to me with questions, alright?"

"Okay. I'm sorry."

I chuckled. "We'll get it figured out. Go put your shoes on. I'll take you to school." He nodded and went into the other room.

That wasn't as hard as I thought it'd be.

* * *

I thought the weekend would never come, but then, once it did, I was not so kindly reminded of my relative's arrival. Aunt Tifa was a straight-shot social worker with dozens of responsibilities, and Uncle Zack was the minister at their local church. Their daughter, Hana, and their son, Jou, both followed the examples set forth by their parents, always wearing conservative clothing and never speaking unless they're spoken to. However, Kei got along well with the kids, which was really all I cared about. I just felt bad when my judgmental relatives would stare at him. I mean, they couldn't even think for one second that maybe we've both had a rough time? To be fair, I never actually told them what happened to his mother, either. I just didn't like to talk about it.

Still, they definitely didn't hesitate to let me know exactly what was on their mind, either.

I pulled up to the beach with Kei, dreading what was to come. I only had to be here for a few hours, and then we could leave. Thankfully, they weren't staying at the house with us this time; it was just a short, passing-through visit. Kei jumped out of the car and threw the big beach bag over his tiny shoulder.

"Stay with me," I said, and he followed closely.

"Dad, are Jou and Hana here?" he asked eagerly as he kicked the sand.

"Yes they are. Now remember, you have to stay in this area. Don't go anywhere you can't see us, k?"

"Not even to the wishing rock? I heard if you make three wishes, one of them will come true. Last time, I wished for lots of money, a big house and a bunch of dogs. Which one will I get, you think?"

I laughed. "I don't know." Definitely not any of those anytime soon. I saw a few unrecognizable people standing near my parents. Aunt Tifa and Uncle Zack were helping set up. Kei spotted his cousins, dropped the beach bag and immediately ran to them. I picked it up and flung it over my shoulder. My aunt was the first to notice me.

"Sora, you've grown," Aunt Tifa said. "And so has Kei. How old is he now?"

"Hi, Aunt Tifa, how are you? Good? Good," I said sarcastically, but then lightened the mood with a small chortle. "He'll be seven in November."

"Oh, you poor thing. Do you need money?" she asked. Jeez, woman. "Having a child out of wedlock is tough, I bet. Does my sister help at least?"

I clenched my fists inside my pockets. Sometimes I just wanted to strangle the bitch. "I have a full time job. I'm good."

"Oh, good for you." My uncle said nothing to me, which wasn't surprising. I liked it better that way, anyway.

"Tifa, come here, please," Mom called. I decided to head over to the grill, where Dad was making some hamburgers and hot dogs.

"Hey," I greeted, keeping my eye on Kei and the other two kids by the water.

"Hey, son! Grab me dem buns."

" _Dem_?" I repeated, handing him the bag of buns.

"It's cool, hip, new lingo. I researched a bunch of things on the internet the other day. Just trying to keep up with the times, ya heard?"

"Oh, God, Dad, please..." I rubbed the back of my head. Admittedly, Dad was a little corny.

"It's mostly for your embarrassment, though, and to scare away the crows," he narrowed his eyes at my aunt and uncle.

"Can't say I disagree."

He chuckled. "Your mother invited some peeps from the community center. Go say hello."

As if his "lingo" couldn't get anymore cringe worthy, I took up his offer and went over to the table. Mom was talking with Aunt Tifa and a few other older people on the end. Just how big of a function was this? Apple and pumpkin pies, chips of every kind, macaroni salad... was it Thanksgiving already? Was I supposed to bring-whoa!

"Ahh!"

I caught myself on the table, just short of knocking down the apple pie and embellishing it with the sand. I immediately checked on the person that ran into me, who, unfortunately, had fallen down.

"Are you alright?" I asked, offering my hand to her. She pulled herself up.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," she said, pulling her blonde hair back and brushing the sand off. "I wasn't watching where I was going." She pressed her hands against her cheeks, shut her eyes and inhaled deeply several times.

What was she doing?

"Dad!" Kei tugged on my shirt, snapping me out of it. The woman lowered her hands to her sides.

"Yeah?"

"Jou and Hana and me are going to chase sharks in the water, I was just telling you."

"Oh, okay. Don't get eaten, then," I said, patting him on the back. He ran back to the shore, where his cousins were waiting. There weren't any sharks for miles.

"Is it okay?" she asked, looking past me.

"Oh, yeah," I dismissed. "Don't worry, there has never been a case of shark attacks here."

"I see." She softened up a little. "My name is Namine. Nice to meet you."

"I'm Sora," I said, shaking her hand. "So, I take it you know my mother?" I pointed to her.

"Mrs. Strife? Yes, I worked with her at Abercrombie for a few years."

Why would Mom invite random coworkers to our family cookout? Oh well, I guess it made things a little less awkward, at least as far as my aunt and uncle were concerned. And... it wasn't like Namine was bad looking, either.

Not that I'm interested or anything, but just worth noting. I really liked her big, blue eyes. Okay, that was weird to say, I know.

"So, that was your son? Do you have any other kids?" she asked.

"Nope, just him."

"He's adorable."

Aww, shucks. "Thanks. He certainly doesn't get it from me."

My attempt at sarcastic modesty seemed to go right over her head. "Oh, no. I think I see the resemblance." She gave a warm smile. Uh, it was getting hot now...

I needed to do something else. This attention was not normal. Hell, maybe she bumped into me on purpose. Now she was following me around. Weird? Possibly...

Why didn't I mind too much? Crap, crap, crap. Most women just assumed I was unavailable once they found out I have a kid.

"So, um, Nam..." My throat went dry. I couldn't talk to girls anymore. I forgot how.

"Namine," she corrected. Hey, I knew that...

"Do you have kids?"

"Nope. I have three nieces, though."

"Cool, cool." Making conversation was hard. Not to mention that I now felt completely awkward, mostly due to my own awkwardness. I felt like I hadn't talked to anyone outside of family or work in ages. Was I really that antisocial nowadays? Even my friends from uni had all moved on, and I would just watch their lives play out on social media. But now, here I was with a pretty girl and I had no clue what to say.

Halp?

"I have a question for you," she said.

"Um, sure."

"Well, you seem kinda cool. I know we just met and all, but would you be interested in doing me a really small favor?"

"A favor?" Okay? Still, I was curious. "What is it?"

"Would you pretend to be my fiance for a few hours tomorrow? I'll pay you."

What the... 

* * *

**Hey guys! So, this is my first story on here. I've always wanted to write something but I never really had the guts to put it online, so please don't be too mean, k? ^.^ Anyway, hope you enjoyed this first chapter! Review?**


	2. Chapter 2

Did she just unofficially ask me to marry her? Like, da hell? I just met you, and you're asking me...

Wait, how much would she pay me?

No, no, no! What was I even thinking? Okay, wow, there's like a ton of sweat puddles beneath me. I was like the awkward kid from Hey Arnold that always stalked that one girl and breathed funny, and then got punched in the face. I actually wished someone would punch me in the face right now. That was how completely weird this was!

"Sora?"

"I'm sorry, say what?"

Namine chuckled. "I should probably explain myself a little better. You look like you're going to have a heart attack."

Yeah, no shit. Demi Lovato's being shoved down my throat at this very moment!

"I will pay you $150 an hour to come to my parent's house and pretend to be my fiance. My younger sister is getting married next week, and my parents are really freaking out because their oldest daughter is still single. I thought being twenty-eight and single was completely fine, but according to my materialistic, people-pleasing parents, I may as well be living in some run-down trailer park with sixty cats."

Uh...

"It would just be for a dinner. You'll make about three-hundred bucks."

Three-hundred? In two hours?

"I know it's completely out of the blue, but I'm really desperate. I want them to stop nagging me. Don't worry, I don't see them that often. If I at least give off the impression that I'm close to marriage, I can avoid their nagging for a while. I know you don't know me, but your mom has told me about how sweet and caring you are before. Also, I'm running out of time and you were the first decent-looking candidate. Will you help me out?"

"Uhh..." Was that her way of saying I was attractive? I looked to Kei. He was probably hoping that we could hang out tomorrow. I'd hate to leave on one of the only times we would have together. At the same time, $300 bucks in two hours? With the possibility of overtime?

"I'm sorry. I'm out of line," she said, hugging her knees together. "Never mind, forget..."

"Wait," I interrupted, "it just threw me off guard for a sec. I just have one question." She looked up. "Why would you offer so much money? Do you have that kind of money?"

She shrugged and pulled out her wallet. Handing me a hundred-dollar bill, she said, "I'll give you this as a down payment, _along_ with the $300. Promise."

I wasn't sure what kind of parents she had, but they couldn't be worse than Aunt Tifa and Uncle Zack, could they? Still, I somehow felt compelled to take the offer. I wasn't moving out of my parent's house any faster, and time was money.

"Here, take another hundred," she said, shoving it into my hand. Okay, whoa, calm your tits woman! This wasn't some high-end strip club! Wait, I did not just think that. Forget I said that.

"Um," I said, handing both bills back to her, "That's okay. I..."

She only stuffed it back into my hand and held it there. My face went hot and instinctively, I turned away. I must have looked like some thirteen-year old girl. She let go. "So, is that a yes?"

Mom always told me to read the fine print. What was I really getting myself into? Coated in money it would take a week and a half to make at my full-time job, which actually wasn't that bad when I thought about it, what came with this offer? One did not _simply_ just pretend to be another's fiance!

"Before I take this, what exactly would I have to do?"

She smiled and leaned back in the sand. "Just pretend like you love to be around me. I'll tell you a few things, and we can make up a story on how we met."

"Do I have to be like, some corporate heir or something?"

"Don't worry about impressing them with social status."

"What does that mean?"

"Meaning, if you have a good heart, they'll like you."

This was so confusing. Of course, I was a master when it came to sucking up to authority. I would not be working where I was working it it weren't for that. I played by the rules, and I always worried about upsetting someone. But was this really the only time I would have to do this? If her parents liked me, wouldn't they want to see more of me? I definitely wouldn't want Kei to get mixed up in all of this. What if I ran into them at the grocery store or something? Would they criticize my son too?

I took a deep breath and watched Kei swim around in the ocean. "So, obviously, my son is my life." She nodded. "I don't want him dragged into this at all."

"Of course not. You'll probably never see me again after tomorrow."

Well, damn.

Wait, why was I disappointed? I made no sense sometimes!

"I really would appreciate this so much. I know I'm a stranger, and that this is probably the most random offer ever, but it would help tremendously. Heck, I'll even double the price."

"Whoa, whoa. No need." I waved my hands around. "Just tell me where to be and how to dress I guess. And just two hours?"

"Not more than three. I can't handle them in high doses."

Gulp. I nodded and put the two-hundred dollars into my wallet. I would be getting three-hundred more on top of this?

Oh, boy.

* * *

I got her number, and instantly, I felt like I had done something wrong. Money spoke louder than words I guess. She ended up leaving a little early due to work-related reasons, so I hung around Dad more. Kei was building a sand-city with his cousins, and Mom was keeping Aunt Nun busy with members from the community center that she often took food to. In fact, I was certain that any leftover food here would go directly to the center.

I was sure Kei wouldn't mind if I left for a few hours, especially if he was watching Adventure Time. I'll spend the rest of the day with him anyway. Maybe I'll even buy him something nice with this money. His birthday wasn't too far off, and he's been asking for a new game console. However, my savings were looking pretty dry. Student loans and car payments and utilities and babysitting and health insurance and phone wouldn't pay themselves, right? And of course, I was way too stubborn to ask my parents for money. They did enough for me already. Kairi and I chose to do what we did, and Kei was the result. He was solely my responsibility now.

Kairi. Wow, just the thought of that name could bring me to tears.

She was so kind, and so beautiful. Thinking any other girl could even come close to her was doing her an injustice. For the past three and a half years, all I've done is work and take care of Kei. No time to hang with friends or party like most in college did, no time for another girl, and here comes this one, strapped in a white tank and blue capris with a vicious smile. Yes, vicious. She was cute, but she wasn't her. And now I had to go on a fake date. Even though I was doing it for the money, I still felt horrible for some reason, like I was cheating on Kairi or something.

Stay single, and you're less likely to get hurt. I almost wanted to tell Namine that.

"Son, what's the matter with you?" Dad asked.

"Nothin... what's the _motto_ with you?" I half-joked. Anything to deter the situation. Part of me just wanted to go home at this point. Dad shut the grill off and carried the last of the burgers over to the table.

"No, Jou! This castle should be even bigger! Wait, you're messing it up!" Kei argued.

"But if it gets any bigger, it will fall apart. Don't you know that?" Jou countered, and then grabbed Kei's shovel. Hana just sculpted her own castle nearby, ignoring their bickering.

"But if people are going to respect them, then they can't be living in some two-story place! They need more stories!"

"Kei," I called, and he quickly set his bucket down. Jou grabbed it and started making other castles with it. Annoyed, Kei came running to me and latched onto my leg.

"I don't want to play with them anymore."

"Hey, how old are you? Quit acting like a baby."

"But Dad! He's not listening to me! I said that..."

"Kei," I said firmly, "I don't want to hear this right now. What have I told you to do if someone doesn't want play nicely?"

He dug his head into my leg. "Be nice anyway and do something else if I have to."

"And?"

"Walk away," he mumbled. I could tell he was getting tired. We both probably needed a nap at this point. Dad came back over to us.

"They're talking about church," he said, rolling his eyes. "Hey, little fella, why the long face?" Kei didn't answer. Sometimes, he acted more like a three-year old than an almost seven-year old. "Hey, come with Grandpa. Let's go take a walk down the shore." He extended his hand to him. Hesitatingly, Kei took it. Maybe that would help him feel better but it also left me here by myself. Guess I'll tag along, then. I placed my hands in my pockets and followed them from a distance. The sun was setting, but I couldn't stand to watch. It hurt too much.

Why couldn't she be here with me? With us? People wondered why I always buried myself in my work. I thought it was pretty obvious. It was for my own sanity. Replace one problem with another. Losing Kairi was the single worst thing that ever happened to me. Each year that went by just felt like pages turning in a short storybook, and the ending would come faster than we knew. I kept telling myself that Kei was the focus. Kei was the reason to move forward, and that kept me going ninety-five percent of the time. Without him, who knew where I would be. But sometimes, I just wanted to be alone too. Maybe when Kei gets older, he'll understand why I acted this way. I never wanted to be that parent that barely saw his child, but unfortunately, unless you're rich, that was life.

I heard Kei laugh at something Dad said. I was truly thankful to have my parent's support, and that although Kei will grow up without a mother, at least he has me and his grandparents. Of course, coming to your parents at seventeen and telling them they're going to be grandparents isn't exactly what they dreamed, but they've been with me every step of the way. I was able to attend college, graduate, and now I had a job to be proud of after working two or three part time jobs at once ever since I found out she was pregnant. Apparently, everything happens for a reason.

"Grandpa, let's catch some fish!" Kei exclaimed up ahead. He seemed to be back to normal. It was funny how quickly kids could get back on their feet. I was a little envious.

"Okay, but what are we going to catch them with?"

"Our hands, duh!"

I smirked. Over at Kairi's mother's house, there was a pond in her backyard garden where Kei would attempt to catch fish. Her father showed him how to make a fishing rod out of a stick, a string and a paperclip, but sometimes he would just try to get it with his hands. As I watched Dad and Kei kneel next to the shore, memories cascaded before me of a better time.

 _"Kei, here's one!" Kairi shouted from the other side of the garden, and the toddler waddled all the way there_ _._

 _"Where, Mama? I don't see it!"_

 _"Swimming over there. Cup your hands like this," she said, and he did the same. "Ready? One, two... three!"_

 _"I missed! He swam away!"_

 _"That's okay, you can just try again. But remember, if you catch him you have to put him back quickly. He has a family too, you know."_

 _"Okay, mama!" Kei tried again, but failed. "I can't do it!"_

 _"Of course you can! I believe in you!"_

Kairi's smiling face disappeared, and I had to stop for a sec. Family. That was what we would have been. I would have married her, and we would have been a happy family.

"Almost!" Dad yelled, interrupting my thoughts. Kei gasped excitedly and then splashed in the water. "Over there! I saw it swimmin! Better catch it, that could be your dinner!"

"No it can't, you made a lot of hamburgers," Kei said, then laughed.

"Those burgers cost three fish, so you'd better get catchin'!" Dad said. Kei's jaw hung in shock. "Hey, I'm just pulling your leg, kid."

"Oh! That wasn't nice!" Kei said, and then splashed water on him.

"Hey, Sora, your kid isn't bein' nice!"

I grinned, forcibly. "Get 'em, Kei!"

"Hey, what the-!" Dad guarded himself while Kei continued to splash him. At least he'll be worn out come bedtime.

"Dad, let's be on a team!" Kei shouted, "You and me versus Grandpa and Uncle Zack!"

"That's not fair! Your Uncle would probably turn on me," Dad said. Kei jumped out of the water and rushed off.

"I'll go ask!"

Yeah, that wasn't going to happen.

* * *

Aunt Tifa and Uncle Zack finally took their leave. I helped Mom and Dad clean up and load the leftovers into their van. Before I could protest, Kei jumped into their van.

"What are you doing? Don't you wanna ride with me?" I asked him as he put on his seat belt.

"Grandma and Grandpa are dropping the food off at the community center. I wanna go."

Mom gave a warm smile. "He's such a sweetheart. We'll be back shortly."

I was about to answer, when my phone rang. "Ah, alright. See you at home, buddy." I'll admit, I was a little disappointed. Kei waved. I answered my phone. "Hello? Oh, hey Riku. Long time no talk."

"Hey, I'm on the islands. Come meet me," Riku said on the other line. "Or is it past your bedtime?"

"I can come out for a little bit, I guess. Where?"

"The Hut. I'll be waiting!" He hung up. I sighed and walked back to my car.

Of all the places...

Twenty minutes later, I arrived. I saw Riku sitting in the outside area the restuarant with a few other people, and immediately, I got cold feet. A social gathering with old college friends, and two I didn't even recognize? I almost bailed that second. Riku was just as handsome as ever, and I mean that in a no homo, "duff" sort of way. The guy beside him was Tidus, someone we grew up with. I hoped he at least acted his age nowadays. Wakka was his best friend, and now that I thought about it, I don't think there was ever an instance where the two were apart. The other two looked a little more laid back than the rest. I got out of my car and waved to the group.

"Sora, over here!" Riku called, and I reluctantly made my way over.

"Holy crap, you actually don't look ten anymore!" Tidus intervened. "It's been a minute, eh?"

"Yeah, hey." Riku pulled a chair for me and I sat between him and the other guy I didn't know. I was now the center of attention, and I hated it. If we did get some time, Kairi and I used to come here often with Riku, and that made this ordeal even worse.

"Yeah, man. What you been doin'?" Wakka asked. "Heard you work for eBay or some shit. That's dope!"

Maybe I missed out on gatherings like this after my son was born, and maybe that contributed to my sense of awkwardness here. "I work for Yahoo, but yeah."

"Damn! That's awesome. How much they pay you?" Riku asked.

"Enough," I said, laughing it off.

"By the way, how's my nephew?" Riku asked next, and then turned to the group. "Sora's got a kid," he whispered. Why did he have to whisper?

"He's good. He's in first grade now."

"First grade?! Damn, time flies!"

The guy next to me just texted away on his phone. His friend was talking with Wakka about something. Riku tracked down the waitress. "Six Yuenglings. Put it on my tab."

"Oh, no thanks," I refused. "I don't drink."

"Oh, yeah," Riku said sympathetically, "Five then," he corrected. He knew why, it probably just slipped his mind in the moment.

"Dude, so what's it like being a dad?" Tidus asked. Thankfully, he also knew what happened to Kairi. I wouldn't have to explain.

"It has it's challenges, but I get through it."

"I bet you have like six kids," Wakka teased Tidus.

"Oh, shut the hell up. At least I can reproduce."

Riku bought the attention back to himself. "Now that everyone's here, I have an announcement to make."

"Can you make this quick?" The guy beside me spoke for the first time. "I have other commitments. Sorry." The table went quiet for a moment.

"Okay, okay, grumpy." Riku rolled his eyes. "By the way, Sora, this is Roxas. He's actually nice once you get past that anti-social, moodyness."

"Oh, nice to meet you."

"Uh huh," he replied his eyes stuck on his phone screen. Of all the people here, I felt I related to him the most. I really didn't want to be here either. No offense to Riku, but I wasn't really a fan of large groups. They made me feel awkward, and awkward wasn't a good feeling.

"Anyway, announcement?" asked the other guy.

"Yes, before I was rudely interrupted," Riku said, glaring in Roxas' direction, "I have decided after spending three years abroad in Traverse Town, that I'm going to move back to the islands."

"Oh, joy," Roxas mumbled. "Is that it?"

It'd be nice to have an old friend around, even though I barely had much free time. Still, he had to gather everyone here for that? I must have been a huge fan of phone and text communication, because my desire to use those methods opposed to actual face-to-face interaction was quite obvious.

"You know the islands aren't the same without me. Maybe I'll start up my surfing lessons finally. Hey, you think Kei would be interested?" Riku asked.

"Probably, but he is a little young," I said, shrugging. "Anyway, that's cool. It's nice to have you back."

"Thank you, at least someone cares." Riku glared at the others, who didn't seem to care either way. Our group was an interesting one.

Roxas's chair screeched on the concrete as he stood. Politely, he said, "Thanks for the drinks. I'll be going." He didn't stick around for protest and started walking down the busy street. I wished I could made such an easy exit too, but then Tidus and Wakka started another conversation. I drank my water pretty fast as they went on. Finally, after about five more minutes of pointless conversation about girls and shit, I had an opening.

"I probably should head out as well." I stood.

"Aww, man, well definitely hit me up sometime," Riku said. "Don't be such a stranger. We're best friends. And ask Kei about those surfing lessons."

"Sure. I'll call you when I can. Nice to see you all again!"

Time to go back to my hermit hole.

* * *

Surprisingly, I made it home before my parents and Kei did, but they came back about five minutes after. Dad carried him into the house.

"Worn out already?" I asked putting out my arms. Dad handed him to me, still sound asleep. I stumbled for a second, briefly forgetting that my son grew every year, therefore got heavier. I took him upstairs and tucked him carefully into bed. He murmured something and rolled over. Today must have really been exhausting for him. Just as I was walking out, I heard him talk again.

"Don't leave, Daddy, don't..."

I closed the door quietly and walked back over to the bed. I couldn't tell if he was just dreaming or half-asleep, but that really broke me. He mumbled something else, but after a few moments of silence, I figured he was fast asleep. Grabbing a pillow and blanket from the closet, I set up on the floor and laid there for a while.

Sorry for leaving all the time.

* * *

The next morning, I had a message from Namine. After what happened last night, I figured it would be best not to go, but unfortunately I had already told her I would. I hated going back on my word but my son needed me more.

 _"Namine, I'm sorry, but I can't go today. I want to spend the day with Kei. Sorry, and I hope you get things worked out with your parents."_

Wait, why was I giving her a reason? I didn't even know the girl. Oh well, it was already sent. Just as I was about to head downstairs, she replied.

 _"I'll pay double, no, triple. Please, Sora. I really need this..."_

The money was enticing but the fact that she would give me that much just for something like that felt strange.

 _"$1,500. Final offer. Please! Just three hours of your time!"_

Just three hours, and I could make that much. Oh my God, I really didn't know what to do. I heard Kei and my mom talking downstairs. Sure, I made a good amount of money at work, but having extra money like that would really help. I just didn't know how to explain my whereabouts to him or my parents. I couldn't just go out without a good reason...

Did I have to lie?

 _"I hope you can make it. I would really appreciate your help."_ Namine really must have been desperate. Aside from the guilt, I wanted to just not respond but I did anyway.

 _"Okay, okay. When and where? And just tell me what I need to know...I guess."_

Money sure did talk.

* * *

 **Wow, thanks so much for the reviews and follows! It means so much to me! I will try to get these chapters out quickly, but I dont want to undermine the quality either, so I hope this is okay! There are so many writers on this site that have inspired me.**

 **Thank you so much for the reviews! I really like the constructive criticism and I hope there weren't too many errors in this chapter. I've only been writing for a few years but I always loved to read. I hope you enjoyed this chapter!**

~JaynaRae


End file.
